Front rigging for riding-saddles.



G. W. GRAVES.

FRONT-RIGGING FOR RIDING SADDLES.

APYLIGATION FILED AUG. 22, 1913.

1,106,648. Patented Aug. 11,1914.

w v w J. ATTORNEY GEORGE WASHINGTON GRAVES, 0F PLAINVIEW, TEXAS.

FRONT RIGGING FOR RIDING-SADDLES.-

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 22, 1913.

Patented Aug. 11, 1914.. Serial No. 786,153.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. GRAVES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Plainview in the county of Halo and State of Texas, have invented a new and useful Front Rigging for Riding-Saddles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to improvements in front riggings for riding saddles, and its object is to provide a rigging especially adapted for a swell fork tree.

In accordance with the present invention the front rigging is made of a single piece of leather of suitable width divided longitudinally into two parts except at the mid portion where the leather is left at full width without division. The structure is such that the middle portion of the leather strap may be wound about the horn of the saddle so that thedivided portions will embrace the swell part of each side of the fork, and while. the ends of the corresponding straps are brought together and both encircle the latigo girth ring, thus holding this ring against forward or backward movement.

Not only is the rigging of the present in vention strong and durable, but it has the advantage of providing an ornamental front rigging for the saddle.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, with the further understanding that while the drawings show a practical form of the invention, the latter is not confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawings, but may be changed and modified so long as such changes and modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention.

In the drawings :Figure l is a side elevation of a saddle tree with the invention applied. Fig. 2 is a front elevation. Fig. 3 is a perspective view looking down upon the saddle tree showing it slightly "tipped forward. Fig. 4: is a perspective view of a portion of the front rigging showing the manner of folding it on application to the saddle tree. Fig. 5 is a displayed view of the front rigging.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a saddle tree 1 which may be considered as generally of ordinary construction, and this saddle tree is provided with a horn 2 and a swell fork 3 having side swells 4:.

The rigging comprises a strap made up of two parts 5 and 6 joined intermediately as .indicated at 7. The strap 5 has terminal portions 8 and the strap 6 has terminal por tions 9, while at the middle portion the strap 6 is provided with a lip 10 opposite to the junction 7 with the strap 5. A full sized rigging is cut out of leather, so that the complete strap is about five inches wide and is split longitudinally, so that the strap 5 is about three inches wide and the strap 6 is about two inches wide, the split entering into the strap 5 adjacent to the junction part 7 for a short distance, as indicated at 11. When applied to a saddle the intermediate part 7 of the strap is placed back of the horn 2 with the lip 10 uppermost and the broad strap 5 iscarried along the members of the fork 3 to the front of the swells 4, with the ends 8 returned upon themselves and the strap and returned ends are then made fast to the lower portions of the fork by fastening devices 12, the return portions 8 of the strap encircling a ring 13 designed to support the latigo girth strap, although the latter is not shown in the drawings. The members of the strap 6 are carried forwardly around the horn 2 and are overlapped and then oppositely directed and continued along the sides of the fork 3 to the rear of the swells 4:, while the ends 9 are returned upon themselves after being carried about the ring 13 and are secured to the saddle tree by fastening devices 14.

It will be observed that the strap constituting the front rigging is wide where it encircles the horn 2 and by embracing the swells 4 both at the front and the rear, the pull of the girth is practically on the whole fork instead of at one place thereof as has been the custom with front riggings as heretofore constructed. Moreover, the ring ends of the two straps on each side of the fork provide resistance to movements of the ring either forwardly or rearwardly, so that on a forward pull the strap 6 resists movement of the ring, thus relieving the fastening devices 12 of the full force tending to move the ring forwardly, while any force tending to move the ring rearwardly is resisted by the strap 5 assisted by the strap 6. Moreover, the rigging forms a neck and horn cap in one piece, thus not only greatly addin to the Strength of this part of the saddlefbut providing a neat finish susceptible of pleas ing ornamentation.

Experience has shown that the rigging of the present invention is particularly strong."

and substantial, and so far as known is superior in these particulars to anything of like character heretofore proposed. More over, a front rigging constructed in accordance'with the present invention fits swell forks-perfectly and is very easily and quickly applied. l

What is' claimed is y 1. ,A :swell fork riding saddle having a front rigging comprlsmg a strap with a mid comprising a single piece of leather slit longitudinally from an integral mid portion to theends and there shaped to be formed into holding loops, the lengthof the integral mid portion being less than that 'of either of the parts formed by theslits, and said mid-portion having a laterally extended lip in position to engage back of the horn of the saddle with said-lip uppermost'when the rigging is in place.

.3. A swell fork riding saddle having a front rigging comprising a strap with a midportion and two sets of twoelongatecl strap members each, said sets extending oppositely from opposite ends of the mid-portion, and the strap members at their free ends being formed into ring engaging loops, each set of strap members being longer than the midportionand arranged in embracing-relation to the respective swells of the swell fork, and one ofthe strap members of each set being wider than the other member of the same set. i v

4. A front rigging for riding saddles com prising a single piece of leather slit longitudinally into two sets of strap members, the sets extending in opposite directions from an integral mid portion, and one strap member of each set being wider than the other,

the slits which divide the leather into strap 1 members being prolonged to enter the wider .j

Copies of this patent may be obtatned for cents each, addressing'the "C pniini ssioner oi lfatents,

2. A- front rigging for riding saddles,

strap members for at thejintegral mid p r The combination ,with a saddle tree 7 having a's well'forkand horn rising therefrom, of a front rigglng therefor consisting of a single leather strap slit longitudinally to form an integral 'mid portion andsepa-- rate strap extensions thereof on both sides of the mid portion, said integral mid portion being wrapped about the horn and the side and securedto the fork to form ring-holding loops. 7 V

i. (S. The combination'with .a saddlewtree having a swellforkr and hornrising there from,1of"a front riggingcomprising a single piece of leather "slit longitudinally into two setsof strap members ,onoppositesides of an intermediate initegrral mid portion, with one strap of each set Wider than the other strap of the same set, the intermediate'portion being wrapped "about the hornand the wider-strap members being carried to'the front and the narrower'strap members to the rear of the swells of the fork and at; their ends returned upon themselves and 'secured. to the fork to form ring-holding loopsi 7 The combination with a saddle tree having a'swell fork and horn rising there from, of a front rigging comprising asingle piece of leather slit longitudinally into two sets of strap members'extending'in opposite directions from an integral mid portion, with one strap member of. each set wider I than'the other, and the slits which divide "the leather into strapmen-1-bers'being pro L; longed to'enter the-wider strap members for i a distance at the integral midkportion, the

intermediate portion 'of the strap being wrapped about the horn-with the wider istrap members carried to the front of the i swells of the fork andthe narrower strap fmembers' carried over the wider members and from thence to the rear of the swells of the fork, both strap -members of each set being returned upon themselves and secured :to the fork to form ring-hol'dingloops. p

'In testimony, that claim the foregoing as my-own, I have hereto affixed my'signature in the presence of two witnesses.

Washington, D. 

